Jason Boland - Hard times are relative

Just ^Cme and my ^Fsister, a ^Gdog and a piece of ^Cland My ^Csister’s name is ^FDarlene and the dog is called Chey^Genne Our ^Ffolks both passed a^Gway last fall in the ^Cfire at the ^Fmill We ^Fget by on a ^Cgarden and what^Gever we can ^Ckill

On the l^Cand there stands a c^Fabin that our ^Ggrandfather ^Cbuilt When ^CI’m away to h^Funt, I feel overrun with ^Gguilt Cause ^FDarlene’s all a^Glone except for the ^Cdog and awful ^Fdreams She’s ^Fseven years my ^Cyounger and I’m ^Gonly sevent^Ceen

We ^Fneed to fill the ^Csmokehouse, ^Fwinters coming ^Con I ^Cknow it ^C/Bisn’t ^Ameasy, since ^Fmom and dad been ^Ggone ^FWe will keep on ^Cgrowing, two ^Fbranches of the ^Amtree ^CHard times are ^Frelative when it ^Gcomes to ^Cfamily

In the ^Cmorning I was o^Fff before the ^Gsun had kissed the ^Cridge W^Chistling new Jimmy ^FRogers tune as I crossed the coal train ^Gbridge T^Fwo good days of h^Gunting and an e^Cvening all ^Falone ^FI’ll quarter up what ^CI take down then p^Gack it all back ^Chome

My ^Chead up in the ^Fclouds walking ^Gon uneven ^Cground My ^Cboots slipped out ^Fbeneath me and I came a crashing ^Gdown To the ent^France of a ^Gcavern, its walls all wer^Ce wet with ^Fmoss My ^Frifle up there ^Con the ledge said ^Ghope was looking ^Clost

We ^Fneed to fill the ^Csmokehouse, ^Fwinters coming ^Con I ^Cknow it ^C/Bisn’t ^Ameasy, since ^Fmom and dad been ^Ggone ^FWe will keep on ^Cgrowing, two ^Fbranches of the ^Amtree ^CHard times are ^Frelative when it ^Gcomes to ^Cfamily

Three ^Cnights nearly ^Ffrozen, my he^Gad filled up with ^Cdoubt No ^Cmatter how hard I t^Fried there was no climbing ^Gout I y^Felled for help then ^Gprayed the same and ^Ceven yelled some ^Fprayers ^FTears fell at the ^Cthought of ^GDarlene with no one ^Cthere

My ^Cmind began to ^Fflutter, like the ^Gwings of a d^Cove Cou^Clda sworn that I was ^Fdreaming when Darlene appeared ^Cabove She ^Flowered down a ^Grope then t^Cied it to a blackjack t^Free ^FCheyenne had found my ^Cdrag rack trail and ^Gbrought her straight to ^Cme

We ^Fneed to fill the ^Csmokehouse, ^Fwinters coming ^Con I ^Cknow it ^C/Bisn’t ^Ameasy, since ^Fmom and dad been ^Ggone ^FWe will keep on ^Cgrowing, two ^Fbranches of the ^Amtree ^CHard times are ^Frelative when it ^Gcomes to ^Cfamily

As ^Cproud as any ^Ffather of this ^Gfearless little ^Cone ^CCaring for a hom^Festead while most kids are having ^Gfun ^FSmiling on the ^Gway back home there were ^Cno words I could ^Fsay ^FTill we stopped to ^Cdress the 10 point ^Gbuck she had shot along the ^Cway

We ^Fneed to fill the ^Csmokehouse, ^Fwinters coming ^Con I ^Cknow it ^C/Bisn’t ^Ameasy, since ^Fmom and dad been ^Ggone ^FWe will keep on ^Cgrowing, two ^Fbranches of the ^Amtree ^CHard times are ^Frelative when it ^Gcomes to ^Cfamily